Life after Harry

With 'Potter' books, films at an end, what's the next big thing in fantasy literature?

July 14, 2011|By Cynthia Dizikes, Tribune reporter

The end comes Thursday at midnight, in 3-D if you prefer.

At that time, the curtain will rise in Chicago on the last of the "Harry Potter" movies. And fans will have one final glimpse of the famous boy wizard (more of a young adult now) wielding his magic wand against supervillain Lord Voldemort and his evil entourage.

But when the credits roll on J.K. Rowling's seven-book, eight-movie, years-long fantasy extravaganza, what then?

Is there anything out there that could possibly be the next "Harry Potter"?

Renee Rockwood, vice president of merchandising for Borders, follows book trends for the company and said there is only one current series that seems headed toward Potter-esque popularity.

"That would be 'The Hunger Games,'" Rockwood said.

The dystopian trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, centers around a bow-brandishing huntress living in a world where children fight to the death on national TV.

Like Rowling's novels, it has proved widely appealing and is rapidly building a readership, said Rockwood, who declined to give specific sales numbers. Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence already has signed on to a much-anticipated movie adaptation, which is due out next year.